diff --git a/controllers/clusteroperator.go b/controllers/clusteroperator.go
index cae582ca0..7a7a3c2dd 100644
--- a/controllers/clusteroperator.go
+++ b/controllers/clusteroperator.go
@@ -12,10 +12,8 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller/controllerutil"
 
 	osconfigv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
-	metal3iov1alpha1 "github.com/openshift/cluster-baremetal-operator/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/openshift/library-go/pkg/config/clusteroperator/v1helpers"
 )
 
@@ -132,7 +130,7 @@ func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) createClusterOperator() (*osconfigv1.ClusterOpe
 }
 
 // ensureClusterOperator makes sure that the CO exists
-func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) ensureClusterOperator(baremetalConfig *metal3iov1alpha1.Provisioning) error {
+func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) ensureClusterOperator() error {
 	co, err := r.OSClient.ConfigV1().ClusterOperators().Get(context.Background(), clusterOperatorName, metav1.GetOptions{})
 	if k8serrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		co, err = r.createClusterOperator()
@@ -141,19 +139,6 @@ func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) ensureClusterOperator(baremetalConfig *metal3io
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// if the CO has been created with the manifest then we need to update the ownership
-	if baremetalConfig != nil && len(co.ObjectMeta.OwnerReferences) == 0 {
-		err = controllerutil.SetControllerReference(baremetalConfig, co, r.Scheme)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		co, err = r.OSClient.ConfigV1().ClusterOperators().Update(context.Background(), co, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
 	needsUpdate := false
 	if !equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(co.Status.RelatedObjects, relatedObjects()) {
 		needsUpdate = true
diff --git a/controllers/clusteroperator_test.go b/controllers/clusteroperator_test.go
index 478fc4f6b..c5fc5b991 100644
--- a/controllers/clusteroperator_test.go
+++ b/controllers/clusteroperator_test.go
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/utils/pointer"
 
 	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
 	osconfigv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
@@ -157,15 +155,6 @@ func TestEnsureClusterOperator(t *testing.T) {
 						"include.release.openshift.io/self-managed-high-availability": "true",
 						"include.release.openshift.io/single-node-developer":          "true",
 					},
-					OwnerReferences: []v1.OwnerReference{
-						{
-							APIVersion:         "metal3.io/v1alpha1",
-							Kind:               "Provisioning",
-							Name:               "provisioning-configuration",
-							Controller:         pointer.BoolPtr(true),
-							BlockOwnerDeletion: pointer.BoolPtr(true),
-						},
-					},
 				},
 				Status: osconfigv1.ClusterOperatorStatus{
 					Conditions:     defaultConditions,
@@ -195,15 +184,6 @@ func TestEnsureClusterOperator(t *testing.T) {
 						"include.release.openshift.io/self-managed-high-availability": "true",
 						"include.release.openshift.io/single-node-developer":          "true",
 					},
-					OwnerReferences: []v1.OwnerReference{
-						{
-							APIVersion:         "metal3.io/v1alpha1",
-							Kind:               "Provisioning",
-							Name:               "provisioning-configuration",
-							Controller:         pointer.BoolPtr(true),
-							BlockOwnerDeletion: pointer.BoolPtr(true),
-						},
-					},
 				},
 				Status: osconfigv1.ClusterOperatorStatus{
 					Conditions:     conditions,
@@ -225,15 +205,7 @@ func TestEnsureClusterOperator(t *testing.T) {
 			reconciler.OSClient = osClient
 			reconciler.ReleaseVersion = "test-version"
 
-			err := reconciler.ensureClusterOperator(&metal3iov1alpha1.Provisioning{
-				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
-					Kind:       "Provisioning",
-					APIVersion: "v1",
-				},
-				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-					Name: metal3iov1alpha1.ProvisioningSingletonName,
-				},
-			})
+			err := reconciler.ensureClusterOperator()
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 			}
diff --git a/controllers/provisioning_controller.go b/controllers/provisioning_controller.go
index 0f9c20e77..88fe4058e 100644
--- a/controllers/provisioning_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/provisioning_controller.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request
 	}
 
 	// Make sure ClusterOperator exists
-	err := r.ensureClusterOperator(nil)
+	err := r.ensureClusterOperator()
 	if err != nil {
 		return ctrl.Result{}, err
 	}
@@ -195,12 +195,6 @@ func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request
 			"unable to put %q ClusterOperator in Available state", clusterOperatorName)
 	}
 
-	// Make sure ClusterOperator's ownership is updated
-	err = r.ensureClusterOperator(baremetalConfig)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ctrl.Result{}, err
-	}
-
 	// Read container images from Config Map
 	var containerImages provisioning.Images
 	if err := provisioning.GetContainerImages(&containerImages, r.ImagesFilename); err != nil {
@@ -464,7 +458,7 @@ func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) updateProvisioningMacAddresses(ctx context.Cont
 // SetupWithManager configures the manager to run the controller
 func (r *ProvisioningReconciler) SetupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	err := r.ensureClusterOperator(nil)
+	err := r.ensureClusterOperator()
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to set get baremetal ClusterOperator")
 	}